Synopses & Reviews
This book describes in very straightforward and accurate text the roots of slavery in the United States, why some people and states were for it and others were opposed to it, why President Lincoln issued the proclamation when he did, who the proclamation freed and who it did not, and some of the effects it had on future events.
Readers learn about the differences between northern and southern economies, how slavery became a states rights issue, how Congress struggled to maintain a balance between free and slave states, and how Lincoln's election forced 11 southern states to leave the Union and hastened the beginning of the Civil War. They will also discover how the Constitution tied Lincoln's hands and how he managed to get around it, and they will learn that the Emancipation Proclamation did not in itself free all the slaves or end slavery in the United States. Finally they will see how in spite of three constitutional amendments guaranteeing their full rights as U.S. citizens, African Americans continue to fight for the full equality Lincoln envisioned in his Gettysburg Address.
Dozens of period illustrations showing key figures and events help bring this chapter in American history to life for young readers. The complete text of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, as well as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, a glossary, and an index make up the backmatter.
Synopsis
This book describes the roots of slavery in the United States, and examines the reasons why certain people and states were for it, while others were opposed to it. It also explains why President Lincoln issued the proclamation when he did, whom the proclamation freed, and whom it did not, and some of the effects it had on future events. Readers learn about the differences between northern and southern economies, how slavery became a states rights issue, how Congress struggled to maintain a balance between free and slave states, and how Lincoln's election forced 11 southern states to leave the Union and hastened the beginning of the Civil War.
Includes the full text of the Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and portions of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
About the Author
Marianne McComb is a writer and editor with over 50 children's books to her credit. A graduate of Miami University and the University of Chicago, she now lives in Bucks County, PA.